iCooked: Thanksgiving Dinner turkey and sides

In addition to cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, I made fresh green bean salad, baked sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese. I used olive oil, soy sauce and sliced ginger with the green beans for seasoning instead of butter or cream of mushroom soup due to the dairy limitations. With the baked sweet potatoes I substituted orange juice for butter - that worked nicely if I do say so myself. There is no substitute for dairy in mac and cheese, but this is a tradition in Kenyon's family so I made an exception with that one dish.

The pies were purchased, but a pecan pie was on the list so there was something for Angela to enjoy.

The real challenge for me was the turkey. I could live my life as a vegetarian. My interest in meat on a given day is pretty low...especially when I have to handle it in the raw form. Ugh, gag me! I've never handled a raw turkey before. I've never had to dig out the innards and pull out the neck bone. I had this brilliant idea to use a rosemary rub on the turkey as I had one like that before and it was one of the best turkey's EVER! The instructions said to separate the skin from the breast before cooking and put some of the aromatic rub inside.(Aromatic is my word, not theirs.) The process to do this took just about everything I had in me. I literally gagged. Thankfully no one in the family was up yet and didn't have to witness my dramatic displays in preparing the turkey. The finished product was pretty good and I was proud of myself for accomplishing the task.

Next year I might go with ham instead...

Just Sheri, relieved to have my first Turkey Day under my belt